


Growing Up

by Anonymous



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alfred the wise, Alpha Jason Todd, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bruce can't handle, Dick is just doing his thing, Gen, He's mildly successful, Jason tries to flirt, M/M, Omega Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 11:41:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16722669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Omegaverse AU in which Jason attempts to flirt with his predecessor while Bruce begrudgingly helps.





	Growing Up

Bruce pulled into the cave and watched through the rearview mirror as Jason scampered out the backseat and opened Dick’s passenger door. The boy offered out a hand, to which Dick gave a confused look and accepted gingerly. Jason stared up with a big smile.

“Uh, you can let go now?” Dick said gently. Jason stammered and dropped Dick’s hand. 

_Oh god,_ Bruce thought.

The clues had been abundant enough that Bruce’s newly adopted protege harbored a less than subtle crush on his predecessor, but Bruce was in mild denial. As he propped open the batmobile hood to check the engine, Bruce watched from the corner of his eye as Jason leaned against the console next to where Dick was scrolling through the batcomputer database.

“I busted a drug deal last week. By myself,” Jason said. 

“Uh huh,” Dick hummed blankly, eyes on the screen.

“Gordon called it a clean job.”

“That’s good.”

“Said Batman couldn’t have done it better.”

Bruce frowned. He didn’t recall letting Jason out on his own last week, though his permission has hardly stopped Jason in the past. 

“We should work together more, man. Tonight went well.”

“It did.”

Though Bruce was internally willing the conversation to stop, he couldn’t help but sigh in sympathy as Jason’s posture deflated at the omega’s inattention.

“I’m hitting the shower,” Jason grumbled, dragging his feet towards the locker rooms. It wasn’t until the door slammed shut that Dick turned around and shot Bruce a look.

“What’s it with him?”

Bruce shrugged.

###

The first sign had probably been Jason’s utter enthusiasm at meeting the first boy wonder, but Bruce brushed it off as idolism. The second sign was probably the way the boy stared at the omega in his Nightwing uniform, but that was how most people stared at Nightwing, so it flew under Bruce’s radar. 

Now Jason was attempting to flirt, whether the fifteen year old boy was aware of it or not, and Bruce was having trouble keeping to the sidelines.

“You’re, like, the strongest omega I know,” Jason said, and Bruce cringed right as Dick frowned. They were on the rooftop of a downtown SunTrust, simply surveying on a quiet night. 

“I guess you don’t get out much,” the older boy said, tone a little cold, which sent Jason fumbling to backtrack.

“I just mean, well, you know-”

“Let’s just end this conversation right there,” Dick stated, silencing the other boy. Jason looked away uncomfortably. 

Bruce doubted Jason meant harm, but he understood Dick’s reaction nonetheless. Dick’s general abrasiveness towards Bruce these days certainly didn’t help, often trickling down to Jason. 

“Robin,” Bruce commanded gruffly, and the boy straightened, though his shoulders still slumped a bit glum. “We’re heading East.”

“East?” Jason questioned. “I thought nothing was going down tonight.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Bruce said, and lept off the rooftop, catching sight of Jason’s cape behind him, leaving his eldest son alone. 

###

Did Bruce approve of Jason’s… interest? 

He didn’t find it ideal. In fact, in Bruce’s opinion, much of love was unideal. 

Jason presented halfway through his fifteenth year, right on one of the weekends Dick happened to be visiting. Though Dick was still rather coarse at times to Bruce and by default Jason, the omega had taken to lightly scent marking the younger boy each time he came over, brushing the top of Jason’s hair with his cheek in greeting. This usually sent Jason into a deep blush that Bruce pretended not to see. 

Jason’s presentation had been a long time coming, what with the boy’s increasingly oscillating moods as his hormones shifted. Dick’s scent seemed to have been the final straw, as on Saturday night, Bruce woke to the sound of moaning that certainly did not belong in his house. 

He found both Jason and Dick in Jason’s room, Jason tangled in the sheets and whimpering while Dick had fallen into a drop at the foot of Jason’s bed. As it turned out, Jason’s rut had started in the middle of the night and, upon hearing strange noises coming from the other boy’s room, Dick had gotten up to explore, only to have his heat triggered by the scent of Jason’s rut. 

The following Sunday had been awkward, to say the least. 

From then on, there were changes, however little. For one, Dick no longer freely removed his uniform top post patrol in the batcave, and neither did Jason. They took turns in the locker room even though there was more than one shower stall. Something about it all clenched at Bruce’s chest, and he realized that his boys were growing. Thing were simply going to change. 

But it wasn’t all so bad, Bruce realized, as Dick came over two weekends later, scent marking Jason at the doorway before widening his eyes in surprise as Jason scent marked him back. Jason blushed as usual, perhaps even harder, and crossed his arms, trying to puff up his chest and harden his expression.

“Little Wing,” Dick simply said, offering Jason a gentle smile before brushing past to drop his backpack off in his room. Jason looked up, and Bruce realized he’d been caught staring.

“What’re you lookin’ at.” Jason scowled and turned away. Bruce tried not to smile.

###

Bruce’s heart lept to his throat as Nightwing’s grapple hook snapped and his figure went tumbling down.

“Night-”

Before Bruce could finish, a red and green figure blurred past him, and Bruce ran over to the side of the building in time to catch Robin latching on to Nightwing. They were still suspended in the air, Jason’s grappling hook locked onto the edge of the building and his other arm curled around Dick’s waist. Dick’s face was ashen, and he was breathing hard. Bruce knew that horror. He felt it each time a gunman aimed for him in Crime Alley.

“I got you,” Jason said in a voice that was more mature than Bruce was accustomed to. Dick curled himself around the other boy, and for the first time, Bruce could see hints of the strong, tall alpha Jason could one day become.

After a brief moment, Jason pulled them back up, and Dick stumbled on the rooftop, giving a few final heavy breaths. When he looked up, he slapped on a smile, though Bruce noted his hands were still trembling. Dick turned towards Jason.

“Nice catch, ‘Lil Wing,” Dick said casually, and Bruce expected him to give Jason a pat on the back or maybe on of his inane fist pumps, but instead he bent down and gave Jason a light peck on the cheek. He pulled away quickly.

“Come on, crime ain’t going to fight itself,” Dick said and pulled out his back up grapple.

That night, after Nightwing departed for Bludhaven, Jason’s leg jittered as Bruce drove and the boy wouldn’t stop smiling.

###

Despite Jason’s usual tough demeanor and brash facade, he stood alone and awkward in the corner of the ballroom. Bruce looked for him in the crowd each time he managed to break way from the other patrons, and the boy kept standing there, not even bothering to pour a cup of cider. 

Dick, on the other hand, went from patron to patron, accepting each dance he was offered. From the slight cloudiness on his face, however, he wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect. Bruce felt guilty when he cornered him by the cheese cubes once Dick managed to catch a break.

“These people will eat you alive,” Dick remarked, then gave Bruce a judging look. “Alright, what do you want?”

“I didn’t say anything”

“You came over here. Surely it wasn’t to say hi.”

Bruce grunted. 

“Jason’s alone.”

Dick followed Bruce’s eyes to Jason in the corner of the room, one arm limply clasped around the other, looking small.

“So?” Dick raised an eyebrow.

“No one’s talked to him all night,” Bruce added. Dick’s expression softened a little, though only just _a little._

“He should be glad.”

Bruce knew Dick understood what he meant. Dick too had his phase of being the outcast charity case. But Dick was too goddamn stubborn.

“Just. Think about it,” Bruce said and turned around. Conversation with Dick was still hard at times, no matter how much better it had gotten over the months. He sighed when he glanced back and Dick was still postured by the cheese cubes, mask back on. 

“Something bothering you, dear?” one of the patrons crooned at him when he rejoined their group. 

“Nope. Nothing at all.”

It was after Bruce finished greeting another set of shareholders that he caught sight of Dick moving from the food table. He watched as Dick approached Jason, who looked up in surprise and relief. Dick said something and held out a hand, and Jason broke into a slight smile and took it. The older boy led them towards the ballroom dance floor, where perfumes and colognes mixed between the swishing of dresses. Jason then hesitated, and Dick guided the younger boy’s hands onto his hips, and Jason held on delicately. Then Dick rested his hands on Jason’s shoulders, and Bruce felt something warm and raw bloom in his chest as the two began swaying gently to the music.

###

When Dick finally came back after Jason died, Bruce found him in the Batcave, palm pressed against the monument glass and staring down at the engraving carved at the base. 

“Why weren’t you there, Bruce,” Dick said, voice strained, and Bruce said nothing and went back upstairs. 

###

Despite all that the Lazarus pit stripped and mangled of Jason, odd habits remained. 

Jason was already in the cave by the time Bruce pulled up, which frankly unsettled him. The alpha leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, but strolled over as Bruce came to a stop. Dick raised an eyebrow as Jason opened the passenger door, leaning against the frame and holding out a palm.

“Gentlemen first?” Jason smirked. Dick scoffed and possibly rolled his eyes, but took Jason’s hand nonetheless. 

“Nuh uh,” Tim said in the backseat, shaking his head. “No way.”

“What? What’s going on?” Damian asked obviously next to him. Tim had already presented beta by the time he came to Bruce. Damian was still young - a pup. It was so strange to have such a young child in the cave again. Strange yet familiar - in a comforting way.

“Don’t you see? Jason’s court-”

Bruce cleared his throat.

“That is enough,” he said, and Tim quieted. He watched as Jason led Dick towards his bike, pointing out a new paint job or something as Dick nodded along. Their hands didn’t break. Bruce thinned his lips as he got out of the car.

###

“Damian, you’re with Dick. Tim, you’re going with Jason.”

Tim looked less than pleased while Damian beamed smugly. Jason furrowed his eyebrows.

“How come I get saddled with Replacement again?”

“Because you two need to learn how to work as a team.”

“So do him and Demon Spawn,” Jason argued, jabbing a thumb at Tim and Damian. Damian shot Jason a glare.

“He makes a good point,” Dick mused, and Damian blanched. Jason’s lips cranked into the slightest smile. Bruce frowned, feeling something heavy settle in his chest.

“No. This is what we’re doing and that’s that.”

He turned around, feeling all four pairs of eyes following him, but didn’t look back.

###

“I - I didn’t mean to do it,” Jason said weakly. He gave Bruce a look that made Bruce’s heart drop a little, but Bruce ignored him. Instead, he focused on Dick curled up on his side in the alleyway floor, clutching a bullet wound to the side from one of Red Hood’s stray bullets. 

“Get me bandages,” Bruce demanded, and Jason looked ready to argue but complied when Bruce shot him a hard look. He smoothed back Dick’s hair.

“Nightwing. Help is on the way.”

Dick cracked a shaky smile.

“Is Jason okay?”

Bruce froze for a moment in surprise. 

“You’re the one hurt, not Red Hood.”

Dick shook his head, the action somewhat uncoordinated from blood loss.

“No, he’ll feel guilty, it wasn’t his fault,” Dick said, words slurring into one another. 

“He shouldn’t be using guns,” Bruce stated. Dick closed his eyes as Jason’s footsteps approached from behind.

“Still not his fault,” Dick murmured, and drifted off. 

###

Jason did not make an appearance for weeks. It saddened Bruce but also hardened the anger in his chest whenever Dick brought up Jason.

“I don’t know what went down between you two, but you need to apologize.”

“Why do you assume I did something wrong?” Bruce argued. Dick simply raised an eyebrow. Tim and Damian were both nearby in the cave, pretending to focus on their reports.

“He does more harm than good,” Bruce said finally. Dick looked at him disbelievingly.

“He’s family!” Dick exclaimed. “What does it matter if he does more harm?”

“You could have _died_ ,” Bruce boomed, slamming a fist onto the table. Tim and Damian both startled slightly, but Dick looked unphased. 

“And he _did_ die, yet you won’t cut him any slack,” Dick said, then shook his head. “Whatever. I’m going to bed. I’m heading back to Bludhaven tomorrow.”

Bruce watched Dick’s retreating figure, wondering when things became so difficult.

###

Jason finally came back before Thanksgiving, bearing a pan of brownies of all things.

“Oh, it’s you,” Damian said, opening the door wider to reveal Jason. Bruce watched from the corner of the foyer. 

“Alas,” Tim added, though his tone was light. “Are those brownies?”

“Have at it,” Jason said casually, as though he hadn’t gone AWOL for the past two months. Tim snatched away the pan eagerly, carrying it off into the kitchen.

“It’s good to have you back, Master Jason,” Alfred said dutifully next to Bruce. Bruce couldn’t help but feel that Alfred was silently judging him.

“Nice to see you too, Alf,” Jason said, and leaned down to embrace him. 

“About time,” Dick remarked, appearing in the doorway. Bruce stiffened slightly, but Jason broke into a smirk and approached the omega, avoiding Bruce’s gaze.

“Don’t want you getting tired of my mug,” Jason retorted. Dick laughed and clasped his hands around Jason’s shoulders, tugging him down to nuzzle his cheek against Jason’s. Jason did the same, wrapping his arms around Dick’s waist and burying his nose in the crook of Dick’s neck. Bruce wondered when Jason had gotten so tall. 

“Come on, you’re just in time for dinner,” Dick said, tugging him towards the kitchen. Damian turned to Bruce questioningly.

“Why do they do that. Can I do that?”

Bruce realized Damian was talking about the scenting. 

“When you present,” Bruce said, and Damian blushed furiously at the concept. He walked off, mumbling something along the lines of ambushing Tim. Alfred stood still beside him. Warm laughter came from the kitchen.

“They are quite lovely together, if I do say so myself,” Alfred said, then headed for the kitchen, leaving Bruce alone in the foyer.

###

“I don’t know what to do.”

There was silence over the line.

“Did that just happen? Did Bruce Wayne just say that?” Clark asked. Bruce sighed.

“I’m being serious.”

“Trust me. I know. You always are.”

Bruce considered hanging up. Clark must have somehow sensed it.

“Okay, okay. Alright. Just - listen to what your gut tells you to do, and do the opposite.”

“Seriously?”

“You have pretty bad instincts, you know. Emotional instincts, at least.”

“That’s not true.”

Bruce could hear Clark raising his eyebrows.

“Not to be rude, but your first decision after your parents died was to dress up as an animal and punch people.”

Bruce grunted. 

“It was more nuanced than that.”

“Look, all I’m saying is to take it easy. Life’s not that complicated.”

Bruce heard bustle and lighthearted argument sound from the basement den. Cass had come over along with new video games. Bruce suddenly felt very alone in his upstairs office.

“You’ll be there for the next meeting?” Bruce asked, though it came out as more of a statement. For some reason, he felt Clark was smiling from the other side of the line.

“Will do.”

###

Bruce sat alone in the cave. Thanksgiving had come and gone. Damian and Tim were asleep, Dick in Bludhaven and Jason somewhere out there in Gotham. Only the light of the monument case lit the cave. Bruce stared at the frail white light that mapped onto his skin and replayed in his head the surveillance recording he’d stumbled across hours earlier when he’d been searching for an old case file.

“I busted a drug deal last week. By myself.”

_“Uh huh.”_

_“Gordon called it a clean job.”_

_“That’s good.”_

_“Said Batman couldn’t have done it better.”_

Bruce stared down at the crinkles in the Robin costume. It was so colorful, yet looked so old. 

_“We should work together more, man. Tonight went well.”_

_“It did.”_

There was also another recent file from Thanksgiving, which Bruce came across after going through scores and scores of audio.

_“I didn’t mean to, you know?”_

The voice had been so small, barely picked up by the cave’s sensors. The time stamp had been late, when everyone should have been in bed.

_“I know you didn’t.”_

That was all. Two lines. Perhaps it was hearing them side by side that made Bruce realize how much deeper Jason’s voice had gotten, how much more tired Dick sounded. Something sour and tender clenched in Bruce’s gut, and he pressed his palm against the monument glass and remained there until morning.

###

Bruce glanced worriedly towards Dick, who was huddled alone in the corner of the room. Though none of them liked galas, they at least attempted to put up a front. Dick, though, didn’t appear to be even trying, instead fending off suitors with a tired look and sour scent. Even Damian seemed concerned.

“Grayson is behaving abnormally,” Damian stated, crossing his arms. Bruce nodded, thinking the gesture looked adorable in his small fitted suit.

“Noted. Go get some punch.”

Damian shuffled off, seeming glad to get his thoughts off his chest. Bruce sighed. His eldest had come back two weeks ago, during which things had been tense between them from Blockbuster. But Dick lost his apartment, and Bruce couldn’t say no, certainly not around the holidays. 

Bruce scanned the ballroom. Damian, sure enough, had poured himself a glass of punch and was somehow engaged in a heated conversation with a woman carrying a snakeskin purse. Cass had snuck into the upstairs balcony and was dropping grapes into people’s glasses. Tim was congregated with a group of shareholders, listing off numbers and stats. Jason, who had shown up two days ago, shifted awkwardly in his suit, which he still didn’t seem accustomed to after all these years.

Bruce approached him.

“The mighty Bruce Wayne? Talking to me?” Jason said mockingly as Bruce approached. Still, Bruce saw the slight tensing of Jason’s shoulders. 

“You came here just to stand?” Bruce asked. Jason seemed surprised at the benign conversation.

“Sick of cheese platters,” Jason grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets. Bruce nodded, standing beside him to observe the crowd. There was a moment of peaceful silence between them.

“You should dance,” Bruce said. Jason stared at him as though he’d grown two heads.

“Huh?” he said inelegantly. 

“Dance,” Bruce repeated. “That’s what ballrooms are for.”

Jason scoffed.

“In case you’ve forgotten, Jason Todd is dead. No one wants to dance with a nobody straggler.”

Bruce nodded towards Dick at the other side of the ballroom, who gazed absently at the buzzing crowd.

“Dick doesn’t think Jason Todd is dead.”

Slowly, Jason turned towards him with wide eyes.

“B-but-” 

“Go on,” Bruce urged. “You don’t have all night.”

Jason looked him once over, as though judging whether an alien had descended and replaced him. Bruce didn’t judge him. Things like that happened in their line of work.

Jason’s features straightened into determination but also a jittery excitedness Bruce hadn’t seen in a long time. Bruce watched as Jason waded his way through the crowd until he stood before Dick. Jason held out a hand, mouth moving, and Dick smiled softly but genuinely as he took it. Together, they weaved into the dancefloor, Jason settling his hands on Dick’s hips and pulling him closer, Dick wrapping his arms around Jason’s shoulders and resting his head on Jason’s chest. 

Together they swayed, comforted by each other’s close scent, and Bruce realized his children had grown up.


End file.
